Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that the assassination of Hamas Political Chief Esmail Haniyeh allegedly by Israel was a big mistake that will not go unanswered. The statement of Iran’s President came yesterday as he hosted Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Tehran. The Iranian President said that the assassination of Haniyeh, who was a guest of the country, was a big mistake and was against international law.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister has said that his country condemn the assassination of Haniyeh, claiming that the move was an attempt by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to spread conflict in the region.
Iranian President and Jordanian Foreign Minister discussed Tehran-Amman relations as well.
Tensions have escalated in the West Asia region after the assassinations of Lebanese group Hezbollah’s senior military commander, Fouad Shokor, in Beirut and Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital Tehran last week. A few days earlier, a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights had killed 12 children and teens.
Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah blamed Israel for the killings and threatened to retaliate. Israel claimed responsibility for Shokor’s death, saying it was in retaliation to the strike in the Golan Heights.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon also exchanged views on the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief over a phone call. During their phone conversation, Mr Bagheri Kani said that Iran would use its legitimate and inherent right to defend its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity to create deterrence against Israel’s acts of aggression and ensure security and stability in the region. Slovenian Foreign Minister said that her country condemned any violation of international law. She expressed hope that all parties would exercise self-restraint and take steps wisely and tactfully towards ensuring stability in the region.
In a related development, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has claimed that de-escalation in the West Asia depends solely on halting the aggression in Gaza and preventing its expansion into Lebanon. The Iraqi Prime Minister made the remarks during a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday. According to the statement issued by Iraq’s Prime Minister’s office, the two sides discussed the latest regional and international developments and efforts to prevent further escalation of tensions in the region.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov also discussed the recent escalation in the West Asia. During a phone conversation, the two ministers discussed the efforts to be made to de-escalate the situation in a way that preserves the region’s security, stability and the interests of its people. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has advised its citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid travelling to the country amid rising regional tensions.
